B.M.W M6

Thankfully, we were on a track because if we had driven the M6 anywhere near its limits on the highway, we'd be writing this from a Spanish prison. Leave it to BMW's speed-obsessed M Sport engineers to adapt elements of their screaming Formula One V10 to street clothes. No, you can't rev this engine to an ear-splitting 18,000 rpm like Nick Heidfeld's FW27 BMW F1 car, but the shriek of the V10 topping its lofty 8,250-rpm redline will certainly suffice

Thoroughbred Horsepower
The compact 529-pound, 90-degree V10 shares the F1 engine's valvetrain technology and crankcase construction. BMW eschewed superchargers and turbochargers for this 5.0-liter engine. Instead, its concept of lightweight, high-revving double VANOS variable camshaft management, weight-optimized pistons and 12-to-1 compression ratio saves weight and delivers the goods. The peak torque, 383 pound-feet, comes at 6,100 rpm but you get 80 percent of it from 3,500 to 5,500 rpm, just where you want it

Each cylinder has its own individually managed, electronically controlled throttle butterfly for split-second throttle response. The exhaust flows from optimized five-into-one headers on each bank, and then into characteristic quad tailpipes

For valet parking, inexperienced drivers, inclement weather motoring or just to simplify low-speed maneuvers, the V10's torrid, 507-bhp output (500 for the U.S.) can be reduced to 400-bhp with the flick of a switch

Although BMW left its electronically controlled roll bars and run-flat tires off the M6, there's plenty of fascinating, drive-enhancing wizardry to satisfy the most inquiring minds. Start with the seven-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) automatic transmission. Take a few minutes to learn its operation and you won't miss that little old clutch pedal one bit

Hammer the throttle and, because the singing V10 revs so freely and fast, the SMG makes its electrohydraulic shifts verrry quickly. And with smaller gear increments than a six-speed, acceleration is enhanced.